Calm It Down: Blue Bedrooms

Who doesn't love blue? It's a calming force, physiologically, slowing metabolism. Symbolically, it's associated with trust, loyalty, intelligence, and stability. It's intellectual and it imbues spaces with a feeling of cleanliness and peace.

It's all those traits, plus the fact that its different shades work with design schemes from classic to modern, that makes us simply love blue in the bedroom.

On the classic and simple end of the design scale, we love the pretty wooden daybed in Wedgewood blue in the photo on the right. Combined with pristine whites and cool grays, the room feels beachy and calm and very, very relaxing.

We'd accessorize with lighting that's similarly simple, playing up the color's neutral properties with a three-cylinder pendant lamp in Bungalow Dots in Cream, Hampton Blue, and Chocolate Milk:The simple pattern works with the pillows' stripes, while the cool combination of colors is in sync with the rest of the room. Calming, from start to finish.

One of the things we love about blue, though, is the variety of shades and the different moods they can convey. The electric blue headboard at the left, complemented by a fish with bright blue accents, has a coastal vibe - so that's calming - but its coupled with preppy energy.

We'd add even more color, taking a cue from the bright pink monograms on those pristine white shams. We think a Signature Leaves lamp in White and Crimson would be a perfect addition to this room's strong feminity:

We're all about the eclectic look right now and we think blue provides a great base for funky, interesting spaces. The bedroom at the right is the epitome of "eclectic," from the oversized Expressionist painting on the wall down to the rug and its Middle Eastern influences.

We think the lapis wall acts as a sort of neutral in this space, providing a calming respite from the intensity of the patterns and painting. But that doesn't mean we wouldn't tie that blue into even more accessories.

In a space like this one, we say, "Load up on pillows!" We love the pile on the bed already, but we'd also add one of our own - Folk Heart in Cream, Hampton Blue, Chocolate Milk, and Sage:

Another of our favorite blue traits is the color's ability to work so well with a variety of accent colors. We especially love how pale, pale blue looks next to intense, pinky reds - like in this smart spare bedroom:

Pale blue, black, and red don't necessarily sound good on paper, but neither does that crazy combination of super-symmetry, stripes, and butterflies. And in the end, all of it works, and the blue provides a background that keeps the rest of the room from venturing into harsh territory.

We might even swap out the fussy throw pillows (though they are pretty) for something a little more tailored, but add a lamp in a similarly feminine and busy pattern, like Napa in White, Gray, and Aurora Red (at right).

Blue - it's as diverse as colors get. But from the most electric to the sweetest and calmest...what a color for the bedroom.

[Photo credits: All rooms from Houzz.com. All lighting and pillow images from Alluminare.]